The Cardio-Sarcopenia Study

The use of surrogate markers such as body mass index (BMI) as a target outcome of physical activity may not be appropriate in older adults who are at risk of muscle sarcopenia. In the presence of sarcopenia, reductions in body weight may lead to lower BMI values. We have previously found deleterious changes in cardiac structure and function among sarcopenic older adults, raising a possible biological syndrome of 'cardio-sarcopenia'. In this study, we will investigate the impact of physical activity on temporal changes in cardiac and skeletal muscle , and BMI, over six- to twelve month period, on older adults with this syndrome. By targeting the cardio-sarcopenic phenotype as a modifiable risk factor that may be altered by physical activity, the results will provide new knowledge into retarding deleterious consequences of cardiovascular ageing. This new target challenges the paradigm of using BMI as an anthropometric marker in health prevention. If proven, this will dramatically change primary prevention targets among older adults, justifying the use of cardio-sarcopenia as a rational anthropometric target.